Jekyll's Golden Islander - January 5, 2012
Deer Population Management in Jekyll Island State Park
Letters to the Editor
The Human Problem: A Deer’s Perspective
I’ve just about had it with people saying we deer are a “nuisance species” and “threaten Jekyll Island’s ecology!” If any species is a nuisance and a threat to the island’s ecology it’s the humans who think this place belongs to them and should decide the fate of the rest of us who call the island our home.
And, where do they get off saying that we deer are unhealthy ‘cuz we look thin and have a bunch of ticks on us. I’m just thin naturally – always been that way – and so are all my friends. That’s just the way it is with barrier island deer. As for the ticks, well, sure, I’d rather not have any on me, but just ‘cuz I do doesn’t mean I’m sick. There are ticks in the woods and so am I – end of story! It’s true that ticks can carry some nasty diseases, but Jekyll ticks don’t have any of ‘em, despite suggestions to the contrary by those guys eager to ‘harvest’ deer.
And, that guy who wrote the letter to your newspaper saying that Jekyll needs a “smaller deer herd” sure was quick to buy into the claim that there are 712 deer on Jekyll Island and to then conclude (wrongly) that we’re eating 5,136 pounds of the island’s flora each day. If that claim were accurate, the island would have been stripped bare long ago! I guess he doesn’t realize that those “spotlight surveys” for counting deer are very inaccurate ‘cuz they guess at the deer count in places not surveyed, which, in the case of the Jekyll deer survey, make up the majority of the island. Most of we deer aren’t too good at math, but I know that just ‘cuz someone spotlighted a lot of us hanging out on the golf course (‘cuz that’s where there the most food is, duh!) doesn’t mean there are lots of deer everywhere on the island, let alone 712.
That same guy praised the Georgia Deer Management Plan, which is based on the inhumane idea that we deer exist simply to provide hunters with a good sporting opportunity. Tell me, how much ‘sport’ would there be in killing deer like us? Geez, most of us trust most humans and are just about tame!
Well, I’ve got a lot more to say on this subject, but it’s time to go look for some enticing flowers to chow down on. Hot tip: If you don’t want me dining in your back yard tonight, then you had better not set the table for me with juicy plants that I just can’t resist.
One last thing - you car drivers, slow down, obey the speed limit and watch where you’re going so that you’re not such a nuisance and a threat to the island’s critters, deer included, of course.
Jane Doe
Pine Lakes Golf Course, Jekyll Island
Help Deer, Don’t Kill Them
Recently, local newspaper featured a photo of a bewildered, defenseless deer. I don’t understand. Why wasn’t this beautiful creature shot instead?
Please help spread the word that a committee has already been formed to help Jekyll Island “Save the Deer.”
Between the DNR hoping to sell more hunting licenses and the director of the JIA, and of all persons - a veterinarian, Jekyll Island, where tourists come to enjoy both peace and nature, is being threatened.
No, hunting does not stand as a symbol of anyone’s masculinity, quite the contrary, I think. There certainly are enough Winn-Dixies around with food for everyone. Unlike the days of my great-great grandfather who was captured and raised by Native Americans in the woods – they had to kill to survive!
If it is the “thrill of the kill,” why not rent or buy one of those violent video games? Shame on all the powers-that-be! Jekyll is a state park and wildlife are dearly loved by tourists and residents alike. It would be like going to Yellowstone National Park and shooting all the bears the tourists look forward to seeing!
Perhaps the state of Georgia needs to build a deer Sanctuary next to the Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll.
Help us and write to the DNR, the JIA and the veterinarian at the Turtle Center and ask them not to destroy one of Jekyll’s most precious assets, our wildlife. Otherwise, we will be forced to send the tourists to Cumberland Island!
Penny Gordon
Jekyll Island, GA
Where Are the Signs?
Good Grief! We love Jekyll, but where are your “Deer Crossing” signs? Plenty of turtle crossings – but our beautiful deer we’ve come to love have no protection!
Help! Do something that all state parks do! And tell people to slow down at night! We love your wildlife!
Mr. & Mrs. R. G. Cummings, Rockford, Illinois
A Painful Death?
Over the holidays, I was told by a seasoned hunter who uses a gun that to kill a deer with an arrow is a painful way for the animal die in that it will slowly bleed to death.
If licenses are sold to amateur “sportsmen” for this purpose, it would be a merciless way to make a buck.
Hopefully, other options will prevail.
Mary Jane Haft, Jekyll Island, GA
